Cigarette smoking and related factors among type 2 diabetic patients in Taiwan

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective This study aims to investigate smoking behavior among individuals with diabetes and assess the differences of total cholesterol to HDL-C ratio based on smoking status. Methods A retrospective cohort study included 1082 diabetic patients from a regional hospital in central Taiwan between 2016 and 2020. Chi-square, McNemar test, and logistic regression analysis were conducted for the inferential statistical analysis. Results About 15.2% were current tobacco smokers. There are several risk factors related to cigarette smoking, including being male (OR = 9.780), younger than 55 years old (OR = 3.649), having lower levels of education (≦9 years and 10–12 years) (OR = 3.001 and 2.097, respectively), being a current alcohol drinker (OR = 3.366), and being a non-regular exerciser (OR = 1.968). Diabetic patients who were current cigarette smokers had a higher distribution of TC/HDL-C ratio≧5 compared to ex-smokers or nonsmokers (14.6% vs. 7.0%, p = .002). More nonsmokers or abstainers changed their TC/HDL-C ratio from abnormal (≧5) to normal (<5) compared to current smokers (67 vs. 39, p = .008). Conclusions Cigarette smoking has been shown to have negative effects on the body’s metabolism and lead to complications in diabetic patients. Therefore, it is crucial to design intervention strategies that encourage current smokers to quit smoking and evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions.